Many different headset devices have been used to position and stabilize an audio transducer or speaker adjacent to a user's ear or ears to deliver audio communication to the user.
A common style of headset is a headband headset having either one or two speakers (monaural or binaural, respectively) that fit over the wearer's ear or ears and are connected by a band between them. The band is constructed in arcuate form from a resilient material, usually including a plastic section that slides up and down, allowing the user to adjust band size and tension. A monaural type of headset includes a single speaker mounted to the headband, and opposite the speaker a temple pad is affixed to the headband. In the binaural type of device two speakers are included, one mounted at each end of the headband. The binaural style can be either monophonic or stereophonic, depending on whether the same signal is delivered to each speaker or different signals are delivered to the two speakers.
In headsets used for telephonic or other similar type communications, a microphone may also be positioned in the vicinity of the user's mouth, usually by a tubular extension, voice tube, or boom, for receiving the user's voice and transmitting it over the communications link.
Present designs of headsets require a user to purchase two different types of headsets, monaural and binaural. Also, in some cases the user must purchase one design to deliver monophonic sound and another to deliver stereophonic sound. Accordingly, what is needed is a headband headset which can be easily converted between a monaural type and a binaural type by the user.